| Author | Message | ||
     Dynarider |
Whats your take on a v-rod powered XB? | ||
| M1combat |
Well, I may be talking from my ass, but isn't the V-rod engine a good deal heavier? If not, I say GO FOR IT!!! That engine was based off of the race engine used by ?proton? and should be a great engine for a sport bike. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I really hope Buell does not go down that same path. But that's just my opinion. I know plenty of pictures have been posted here proporting to show how the VRod engine and XB engine are about the same size, but I looked at the two bikes side by side in person and I have no idea how they could wedge that VRod engine into an XB chassis. It looks huge in comparison. Of course they could stretch out the wheelbase, add a radiator, stick on a steering damper, second front rotor, all that stuff. But if I wanted a TL-1000, SV-1000 or an RC-51, I don't see any reason to wait for Buell to make one. Suzuki blew it. They had a pretty slick little package in the SV-650. Had they added better suspension, dropped in that TL engine, but kept about the same weight and package size they would have had a killer setup. Now I look at a bike I was screaming for Zuki to build and seeing a warmed over TL-1000 without a fairing. The thing feels like a boat, and could not be less inspiring to me. When I ride my lightly modded Cyclone, I *never* think "gee, I wish this thing had more power". I often think "wow, this would be cool if it were even *more* light and maneuverable feeling". If people insist on playing "I have 50 more horespower then I could ever use, you only have 30 more horsepower then you could ever use" game, I hope they just do it with an aircooled XB-88 (88 cubic inch aircooled XB motor) and not by making the thing a boat. | ||
| Dynarider |
I really hope Buell does not go down that same path Too late. And the v-rod motor fits just fine, its no bigger than the V-twin just weighs a bit more..about 50 lbs I believe. | ||
| Gearloose |
Well I am not to keen on a "radishater",but a nice 88 would be fun.It even has a nice ring to it!  Gearloose | ||
| Misato |
too late? you know something we dont? | ||
| Dynarider |
Only what I have seen with my own 2 eyes. | ||
| Nxtr |
Dynarider, Factory skunk works bike, or somebody that built a one off? Tell us more!!! Luvin Mississippi, Nick | ||
| Dynarider |
Factory bike. patiently waiting for anon to come in & tell me I have no idea what I saw  | ||
| Misato |
quit teasing us.. who, what, when, where? | ||
| Baybueller |
my XB9 is slow on throttle down. I have an F.I. road king that works fine. Does anyone know why the throttle lags? Bike has race kit and 2200 miles. | ||
| Tim |
The slow throttle down is designed in to prevent abrupt deceleration upon closing the throttle. | ||
| Dbensavage |
I have to agree with Reepicheep. 120 horse at the rear wheel could be achieved with an 88 inch XB motor. The VRod engine may only weigh 50 pounds more, but add coolant, a radiator, plumbing a stretched frame and the bike won't be any more competative than an XB with an 88" motor would be. Just my feeling on the subject. | ||
| Tedk |
OK Dyna, I need to talk to you...I'll send you my number. By the way Buell Security Officers are in search of someone who breached security and took pictures of a secured area in East Troy. It will be featured on Americas' Most Wanted. | ||
| Opto |
Dyna, I don't believe you, where will the radiator fit? EB wouldn't allow another 50 lb...What will it be called, a FatXBoy? Birdy. | ||
| Glitch |
Maybe just maybe what Dyna is talking about is the new Sport Touring XB inspired Buell. Fatter longer X frame able to hold 4.7 gallons of gas. Longer swing arm (still holding the oil). The radiator is smaller and located under the seat with twin electric fans. Really doesn't look a lot like the XB we know when parked side by side, but alone you can tell it's an XB. No, I don't have any idea what I'm talking about. Just fanning the flames... | ||
| Smadd |
A VRod powered bike would be a pig in comparison to the XB12... unless they spent a fortune on lightening materials. Then no one would be able to afford one. I don't know if it's true, but if the VRod motor is *only* 50 lbs heavier... how much heavier would the total bike be with the associated plumbing, radiator, etc.?? Then the posers would be complaining that the bike is *way* too heavy, when compared to yada yada yada. You're putting *way* too much emphasis on HP for street riding, unless all you do is pose at bike nights or drag race. You don't need it... and I doubt that you could handle it. | ||
| Mikej |
The closer to 7 and farther from 4 you get on the gallons the happier I'd be. 5.0 would be a bare minimum depending on mpg, 6.0 would be nice, 7.0 would be very nice, 8 would probably be a bit too much. Over 200 miles before hitting the reserve is in my opinion a bare minimum for a touring oriented bike. As far as what's coming, I'll wait and see. But I will be keeping my eyes open. | ||
| Gonen60 |
DYNARIDER...If you have something to say, say it. Don't chime in with maybe's and " I saw this" "but I can't tell you" type of Bullshit..Spit it out, or shut it up. | ||
| Mikej |
He already has if you stitch the multiple threads together. | ||
| S320002 |
If Dyna's eyes aren't brown its only because he's about a quart low. | ||
| Glitch |
How and why would (does) Dyna know more than anyone else. How is he privy to information such as this. Is he just a lucky troll? No offence Dyna. I just wonder how you come up with this and don't mind telling things others would be chastised for... | ||
| Court |
For what it's worth, I'll add my two cents, which to the old-timers, will sound quite familiar. Buell, just as they became the FIRST wheeled vehicle firm to EVER have an internet site and the FIRST to do about 94 things other folks had dreamt of doing when "technolgy caught", does a great deal of "corporate dreaming". Buell, the person and the firm, encourages AND inspires dreaming and innovation. If, in the real world, everything hit it's mark Sig Sauer would be producing 9mm pistols with 1-shot capacity. Fact is, ideas are like rolling a box of bb's accross the floor. Not all will go where intended. I can show you books stamped CONFIDENTIAL that were fabulous ideas who never reached the intersection where consumer demand and perceived need intersect with commercial viability. Buell first DREAMS of things, then evaluates those dreams bsed on what they can SELL. Buell, in the global sense, is ultimately a SELLING firm. There are a host of ideas that make it and some that don't. An S-2 owner with a keen eye can look at my personal S-2 which served as a platform to test things you didn't notice or see for a couple years (keen eyes have caught the pipes for instance) You could see, in Erik Buells neighborhood, damn near anything. That does not, in and of itself, serve as a realiable predictor that would move me to initate a loan. Erik and I attended a wedding once and the turbo S-1 he rod raised lots of eyebrows, got lots of attnetion but never saw the light of day. Another compoent of this makes me want to defre to the wisdom of my dear departed Old Man...who's favoriate saying was "you don't need to tell everyone eveyrthing you know". Served him well amassing a fortune in construction and retiuring at 52; others here might want to heed it The term "commercial trade secrets" medans just that. I know things about people here that I am no given to shouting out just BECAUSE I know it. My 0.02 Court <<will someone that has time please spell check that post>> | ||
| M1combat |
It's a light enough engine in race trim and capable of LOTS of power... If they make it light I think it would be cool. with todays CAD technology they could even shrink it a bit very easily... Granted, to make it light enough would probably add a good 5K to the price of an XB. | ||
| Mikej |
I'd like to see those books someday, but understand that I may never. I once worked for a company that makes a product that probably everyone here has interracted with at least 5 times this week so far, and in that company I saw many product ideas that never saw full production, but some of which saw local small town customer interface usage. If a competitor had been in town on one of those weeks and happened to be in the right retail store and happened so see the product they would have received a major preview of a product still 1-3 years from production, or might have seen one destined to go into the archive files. I've also been in the Buell factory on a tour and caught a glimpse of an employee pushing a bike down an aisle and upon seeing us coming around a corner quickly ducked behind a screened/veiled area as our group passed (that bike was probably the XB12 thinking back on it now). Risk of exposure is one of the factors a company has to deal with as new products are tested on public venues, and sometimes an aware eye will see what was not intended to be seen. Time will tell what will be and what will not. I still believe I saw the V-Rod before it was known on my late morning commute a year or two before it was introduced, although it had a different appearance then in a different frameset, but I could be wrong. Not all test riders are svelt and clean shaven, and not all test rides happen under cover of darkness. Hidden in plain sight are many products undergoing Alpha and Beta testing that most of us are not even aware of as we see or use them. From cars to bikes to vending machines, it don't matter as all have to be tested in the real world at some point prior to actual public release. YMMV. | ||
| S320002 |
Court has once again hit the nail squarely on the head. Perhaps it's his construction experience. While riding on my bike between the two Willow Springs tracks Erik told me about the S1 turbo. He said it put out about 130 hp. He later said it was lots of fun but not very reliable. There have been lots of thing spotted around East Troy including antifreeze. This is not the first time someone has tried to make a professional sport out of jumping to conclusions. | ||
| S320002 |
with todays CAD technology they could even shrink it a bit very easily... Buell has been using one of the best CAD programs available, SolidWorks, for many years. | ||
| Dynarider |
How and why would (does) Dyna know more than anyone else It helps to live & ride in the area. Alos to keep your eyes & ears open at all times. You would be suprised what you can see on the west side of Milwaukee. You could see, in Erik Buells neighborhood, damn near anything. That does not, in and of itself, serve as a realiable predictor that would move me to initate a loan Agreed 100%. Never said it was a production bike. Just that its something running around with factory tags. If there was no interest in building one eventually I suppose there would be no need for prototypes. Not all test riders are svelt and clean shaven, and not all test rides happen under cover of darkness. Hidden in plain sight are many products undergoing Alpha and Beta testing that most of us are not even aware of as we see or use them. The factory riders at times have actually come down to Highland house on sunday mornings with prototypes & or bikes that simply havent been unveiled yet just to get reactions from folks. | ||
| Davegess |
A VR engine might just fit in an XB size frame, a VROD most definatly won't. I have seen th etwo engines side by side, not hard to do - they are on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The VR has inches of space between the heads and the frame, the VROD has nothing. Now the whole idea of using the VROD motor for a sport touring kinda bike is interesting. Something I could imagine Buell doing BUT that market is crowded with bikes and sales numbers are very low. Can Buell sell enough to justify tooling expenses needed to make a nice sport tour bike? Don't know but would be surprised if the answer is yes. Would they do something in that market that no one has ever done before? Yes I think they would. No idea what that would be I'm not that creative. Will they build a very powerful sport type bike that is bigger and heavier than an XB. I have my doubts. The nice thing about deliberatly not knowing anything is I can speculate right along with the rest of you without fear of getign somebody fired  | ||
| Court |
>>>Not all test riders are svelt and clean shaven, Right you are. I logged more miles than you will ever know about and had as may as 3 Buells sitting in Topeka, KS with WI MFG tags on them for 3 years. The info I provided was arguably anecdotal evidence but Erik always listened carefully to gain just one more data point that came from a real (shaven or not) rider beating the crap out of a real motorcycle. How well I recall flying into Mitchell Field, and departing East Troy at 6:00PM on that November night so I could do the 600 miles under cover of darkness. That was the day I also learned about what happens when the sun sets on a 24 degree day. I made the 599 miles to Topeka in something like 25 mile segments. The next day I bought one of everything Pat Widder ever made. I have a notebook of my logs AND THE SECRET BUELL FEATHER. Court |
